As we’ve stated time and again, we here at Backwoods Horror are HUGE fans of  Squatchsploitation flicks. From seeing 1980′s NIGHT OF THE DEMON and LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK as a child, onto newer fare such as THE LOST COAST TAPES and the much anticipated EXISTS, we just can’t get enough of the big guy.

Bobcat Goldthwait (who happens to be a contemporary of bigfoot expert Scott Herriott) has written and directed a new found footage bigfoot horror film (I’m assuming it’s within the horror genre by the amazing poster below), and a new poster and interview with Goldthwait have surfaced. Just LOOK at that poster. It’s a shame that movie posters aren’t such an art form any more as they once were. I’d be proud to have this one hanging on my office wall. But enough with the gab, on with the interview with the man himself and a full look at the poster!

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SYNOPSIS:

Eleanor and Clara, two mysterious and penniless young women, flee the scene of a violent crime and arrive in a run-down coastal resort. They try to find money and refuge along the tawdry seafront and in the dilapidated hotels.

Clara, ever-practical, sells her body. She soon meets shy and lonely Noel, who provides a roof over their heads in his seedy guesthouse, Byzantium. Clara, always looking towards the future, turns it into a ‘pop-up’ brothel.

Meanwhile Eleanor, the eternal schoolgirl, meets Frank, a kindred spirit who unwittingly prompts her to tell the truth about her life. She tells him that Clara is her mother; yet Clara is only a few years older. She says that she was born in 1804; yet she is just sixteen. She confesses that she must drink human blood to stay alive – and so must her mother. In the small, quiet town, people start to die.

And the past that the girls have been running from for so long, finally catches up with them – with astonishing consequences.

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Opening April 19th in select cities, and opening everywhere April 26th, Rob Zombie’s new epic THE LORDS OF SALEM will be hitting theaters and to prepare us for the visual insanity certain to ensue, Anchor Bay has released the following clip.

The film is opening in the following cities on April 19th: New York (and LI), New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, Miami, Dallas, Houston and Detroit.  More cities are expected to be announced.

Meg Foster, Ernest Thomas, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Torsten Voges, Bruce Davison, Billy Drago, Richard Lynch, Lisa Marie, Maria Conchita Alonso, Ken Foree, Barbara Crampton, Michael Berryman, Sid Haig, Judy Geeson, Sheri Moon Zombie and Patricia Quinn star.

Sheri Moon plays Heidi, a DJ at a local radio station, who, together with the two Hermans (Whitey and Munster), forms part of the “Big H Radio Team.”

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After the break, you’ll find obituaries celebrating the lives of these men who entertained and, at times, enraged us, but all the same, had our respect.

Source: VARIETY

Jess Franco, the prolific Spanish filmmaker who became renowned for his low-budget cult films, died in Malaga, Spain, of heart complications. He was 82.

Franco’s feature pic debut came in 1959 with “We Are 18 Years Old,” but the helmer found more mainstream success with 1962?s “The Awful Dr. Orlof,” which received wide distribution Stateside and in Blighty. He is best known for his contributions to the cinema fantastique genre, which veered away from the mainstream and employed supernatural phenomena in otherwise realistic narratives. Notable credits include “Necronomicon,” (1967), “Count Dracula” (1969), “Vampyros Lesbos” (1970), “Dracula vs. Frankenstein” (1971), and “Oasis of the Zombies” (1983).

The auteur steered the 1960s Spanish horror boom, and even in the face of fascist censorship, placed sex, blood and gore at the front and center of his motion pics.

Born Jesus Franco on May 12, 1930, in Madrid, Spain, the would-be cineaste got his start composing music at age six and followed that passion to the Real Conservatorio de Madrid, where he studied piano and harmony. Franco penned work as an easy-read novelist before entering the Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematograicas and enrolling at the I.D.H.E.C. (U. of Sorbonne), where he studied helming techniques.

Back in Spain, Franco began composing and worked at Agata Films S.A. as a production manager and scribe. And when the censorship curtain on the home front was raised in the ’70s, Franco’s foray into bizarre filmmaking blossomed. Additional credits include “Succubus” (1968), which was nommed for the Festival of Berlin, and the Christopher Lee-starrer “Count Dracula” (1969). Franco also worked frequently with thesp Soledad Miranda and wife Lina Romay.

The auteur’s career spanned nearly six decades, and Franco snagged an honorary Goya award in 2009. Franco’s final work, “Al Pereira vs The Alligator Women,” opened last month in Spain.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

Some sad news today as Richard Brooker, the very first Jason to ever wear a Hockey Mask, has passed away at the age of 58. Having portrayed Mr. Voorhees in Steve Miner’s Friday The 13th: Part 3, Brooker went onto another acting role in 1983?s Deathstalker before moving on to a career as a horse trainer.

As a child, Brooker was definitely in my nightmares. That shot of him as Jason, looking through the window and smiling at our heroine in the canoe in the middle of the lake… for whatever reason it was one of the more indelibly frightening moments of my childhood.

Source: Shock Till You Drop

Tragic news for the world of film and film criticism today as it’s being reported that veteran Chicago film critic Roger Ebert has passed away at the age of 70 from complications due to cancer.

This news comes just one day after Ebert announced a “Leave of Presence” due to the fact that the cancer he’d been fighting since 2002 had resurfaced following a fractured hip operation in 2012.

This announcement came 46 years to the date that the beloved critic began writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967, winning the first and only Pulitzer Prize for film criticism eight years later. He had already started to undergo radiation treatment to fight the cancer.

Whether you agreed with his opinions on movies or not, there’s no denying that Ebert was one of the most ground-breaking film critics of the past few decades, breaking ground as long-time print critic for the Sun-Times, on television with his shows “Sneak Previews” and “At the Movies,” as well as with his foray onto the internet with his blog at RogerEbert.com.

Most people across the world came to know Ebert through the television program “At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert” which later became “Siskel and Ebert at the Movies,” where they made popular the “two thumbs up” approach to reviewing films. When Siskel passed away in 1999, Ebert was joined by Richard Roeper and they continued together until 2006 when he was no longer able to speak without using a voice machine.

Ebert continued to herald independent films and filmmakers on his blog and with his annual “Ebertfest” that championed overlooked films from the past. Ebert left us with these ominous words in what would be the last post of his life: “At this point in my life, in addition to writing about movies, I may write about what it’s like to cope with health challenges and the limitations they can force upon you. It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital. So on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness.” “I’ll be able at last to do what I’ve always fantasized about doing: reviewing only the movies I want to review.”

He is survived by his wife of 11 years, Chaz Ebert née Hammelsmith, who had been producing the most recent incarnation of “At the Movies” with plans for a Kickstarter program to try to revive the show.

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Source: Shock Till You Drop (Because I’d only ever heard rumors about this gem!)

Back in the ’80s and early-’90s, Linnea Quigley ruled the horror scream queen scene. When she wasn’t starring in films like Night of the Demons or Return of the Living Dead, she was doing oddball efforts like Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout. Some of us still own this on VHS, however, it’s making its way to DVD for the first time. It’s up for pre-sale now with copies shipping April 11th.

Directed by Kenneth J. Hall and starring Quigley, the workout tape was originally released in 1990 and features special effects from Cleve Hall (TV’s “Monster Man”). A campy, gory parody of the workout videos of the ’80s, the film was created to capitalize on Quigley’s explosive popularity and rabid fan base. In it, Quigley teaches a bevy of big-haired, lingerie-clad beauties the proper way to tone and stretch, while a masked killer stalks them one by one. She also takes time out to show an army of out-of-shape, flesh-eating zombies the best ways to keep fit.

A first run Limited Edition of 1,000 units will come with a numbered 5×7 photo signed by Linnea Quigley and Kenneth J. Hall. This package includes a digital re-mastering of the original uncut version of the film, presented with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

• Audio Commentary with Director Kenneth J. Hall
• New Retrospective Featurette with Cast & Crew including Stars Linnea Quigley, Cleave Hall, David Deceatou, Director Kenneth J. Hall and others!
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Lobby Card personally autographed by Kenneth J. Hall and Linnea Quigley
• Still Gallery

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Honestly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Butcher Brothers. In addition to having a name scheme I’ve felt pandered to a certain audience, I was never really that drawn to their films. Maybe I’m just not that into vamps and haven’t given ‘em a fair shake. But I think that’s all about to change. Taking a look at the trailer for HOLY GHOST PEOPLE, I was blown away. But y’all know me. Anything “dirty south,” with backwoods carnage and insanity and I’m in like Flynn. Now, thanks to XLrator Media, those of us unlucky enough to have been in Austin to check out the film will finally get a chance to see it as they’ve just acquired the North American Rights to the film

FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:

LOS ANGELES – XLrator Media has acquired all North American rights to the Southern Gothic thriller, HOLY GHOST PEOPLE, following its world premiere last month at South by Southwest. The film is directed by Mitchell Altieri – one half of the Butcher Brothers (The Hamiltons, The Thompsons) – and written by Kevin Artigue & Joe Egender, Altieri & Phil Flores (the other half of the Butcher Brothers). XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon announced the deal today.

“Following our great experience working with the Butcher Brothers on the vampire epic The Thompsons, we’re thrilled to be releasing Mitchell’s extraordinary new film which created such a sensation at SXSW,” said Gordon.

HOLY GHOST PEOPLE was produced by Jeffrey Allard, Phil Flores & Mitchell Altieri and Joe Egender & Kevin Artigue and executive produced by L.C. Nussbeck. The deal was negotiated by Gordon and the Paradigm Finance Group on behalf of the filmmakers.

SYNOPSIS:

In the film, 19-year-old Charlotte (Emma Greenwell, “Shameless”) enlists the help of alcoholic ex-Marine Wayne (Brendan McCarthy) to find her estranged sister who has gone missing deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Their search leads them to the Church of One Accord and the enigmatic snake-handling preacher Brother Billy (Joe Egender), who’s devoted congregation of outcasts knowingly risk injury or death seeking salvation in the Holy Ghost. What Wayne and Charlotte uncover during their time on the mountain – about themselves and the nature of faith – will shake them to their core, as the mystery of Charlotte’s sister and her fate unravels. 

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Over the weekend I happened to catch a showing of the new EVIL DEAD remake (more on that later…I’ve taken to calling it LET’S JUST COVER EVERYTHING IN BLOOD AND GET ON WITH IT) and before the feature, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse at the new trailer for the CARRIE remake. I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s looking better and better than the original ever hoped to be. Check it out after the break!

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TRICK ‘R TREAT’S Sam would like to remind you all that Halloween can be celebrated every holiday of the year. So, enjoy the video below, and HAPPY ZOMBIE JESUS DAY (aka EASTER)  from BACKWOODS HORROR and the folks over at FearNet!

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